Greetings from California

Legends, Landmarks & Lore
of the Golden State

Greetings from California is a handsome, hardback coffee-table book that is a very entertaining miscellany of, as the sub-title says, the legends, the landmarks and the lore of the Golden State.

Greetings from California Book CoverGreetings from California

Its 160 pages contain 130 color and 100 black and white photos, most of the large color photos being from the talented author’s own library of images that have graced the pages of National Geographic, and many other prestigious places.

The other photos are fascinating archive and historic photos which, along with old postcards and some sketches, help illustrate the many curious and enjoyable stories that the author has unearthed.

Greetings from California: The Author

Gary Crabbe is a California photographer and writer, who lives near San Francisco and who also took the photos for Backroads of the California Coast. Check out his website to see just how good he is. He’s worked for the National Geographic Society, Time, the New York Times, and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History amongst others.

Bixby Bridge on the Pacific Coast HighwayBixby Bridge on the Pacific Coast Highway

The Pacific Coast Highway

The book covers the whole of California, naturally, but the Pacific Coast Highway is well-represented as it was along America’s western shore that many important historical events took place.

The book is divided into 7 geographical sections, and the coast appears in 4 of them - Northern California, Southern California, the Bay Area, and the Central Coast. The other three regions covered are the Central Valley, Sierra Nevada, and the Desert.

Surfer surfing in California

Each region then carries anything from 4 to 19 topics, in spreads of 1-3 pages each. But behind these mundane facts and figures, to give you an idea what you’re getting for your money, is the story of California’s incredibly diverse history, ranging from the Los Angeles Water Wars and Migrant Workers, the First Transcontinental Railroad and the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, through the Monterey Jazz Festival, and Hollywood to Silicon Valley.

From Surfing to Death Valley, from Wildlife Refuges to Alcatraz, it’s a fascinating collection of California stories, beautifully illustrated with those images old and new.

Some of the author’s full-page color shots of places like the stunning Point Reyes just north of San Francisco, the Channel Islands National Park, and Death Valley National Park, are exceptional. Well, you don’t get your work in National Geographic by being run-of-the-mill.

Alcatraz in San FranciscoAlcatraz

The Birdman of Alcatraz

To focus on one example of the way the book works, there is an entertaining spread on Alcatraz. It’s enjoyable for its potted history and its period photos, but the author reveals something we never knew.

The inmate Robert Stroud, who was known as the Birdman of Alcatraz, never kept any pets of any kind in his 17 years in Alcatraz. It was forbidden. He was actually the Birdman of Leavenworth, which doesn’t sound half as good. He kept birds when he was at Leavenworth, and his nickname followed him to Alcatraz.

Not Comprehensive

The book isn’t comprehensive. There’s not a mention of Hearst Castle, for example, which surely belongs in the legends, landmarks and lore of California. But that’s not a criticism. The author’s done well to pack as much as he has into 160 pages, which are ideal for dipping into and coming out with nuggets.

Buying Greetings from California
Greetings from California by Gary Crabbe is published by the Voyageur Press. It's available on Amazon USA 
and Amazon UK. 

Other books pages

  • Books About the Pacific Coast Highway in California, Oregon and Washington including travel guidebooks, route guides, restaurant guides, and many more.

    Books About the Pacific Coast Highway

    Books About the Pacific Coast Highway in California, Oregon and Washington including travel guidebooks, route guides, restaurant guides, and many more.

  •  

    Pacific Coast Highway Guides. Book and ebook hotel guides to PCH

    Pacific Coast Highway guides include our own printed book and ebook guides to the best hotels along the PCH, available in paperback, PDF and Kindle formats.

  • Northwest Wine Country is a food and wine lover's guide to vineyards, fine dining, accommodation, restaurants in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, British Columbia.

    Northwest Wine Country

    Northwest Wine Country is a food and wine lover's guide to vineyards, fine dining, accommodation, restaurants in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, British Columbia.

  • Plant lovers can visit hundreds of gardens along or near the Pacific Coast Highway,ranging from lush gardens in the Pacific North-West to southern California.

    Gardens Of the Pacific Coast Highway

    Plant lovers can visit hundreds of gardens along or near the Pacific Coast Highway,ranging from lush gardens in the Pacific North-West to southern California.

  • The Frommer's Guide to Seattle has good information about the city and side excursions to the Olympic National Park and elsewhere, plus free city and area map.

    Frommer's Guide to Seattle

    The Frommer's Guide to Seattle has good information about the city and side excursions to the Olympic National Park and elsewhere, plus free city and area map.

  • The Santa Barbara Guidebook from Moon Handbooks also covers California’s Central Coast with Ventura, San Luis Obispo, wine country, and Hearst Castle.

    Santa Barbara Guidebook

    The Santa Barbara Guidebook from Moon Handbooks also covers California’s Central Coast with Ventura, San Luis Obispo, wine country, and Hearst Castle.

  • Soul of Los Angeles from French publishers Jonglez is a travel guide to 30 Exceptional Experiences in California's largest city.

    Soul of Los Angeles

    Soul of Los Angeles from French publishers Jonglez is a travel guide to 30 Exceptional Experiences in California's largest city.

  • Epic Drives of the World from Lonely Planet describes 50 of the world's most exciting road trips, including, of course, the Pacific Coast Highway.

    Epic Drives of the World

    Epic Drives of the World from Lonely Planet describes 50 of the world's most exciting road trips, including, of course, the Pacific Coast Highway.

  • Review of the Pacific Coast Highway Road Trips book from Lonely Planet, which includes a California Driving Guide, by the Pacific Coast Highway Travel website.

    Pacific Coast Highway Road Trips: Lonely Planet Guidebook Review

    Review of the Pacific Coast Highway Road Trips book from Lonely Planet, which includes a California Driving Guide, by the Pacific Coast Highway Travel website.

  • Pacific Coast Highway Travel's California Camping book review rates the 20th anniversary edition of Moon's complete guide to over 1400 tent and RV campgrounds.

    California Camping Book Review

    Pacific Coast Highway Travel's California Camping book review rates the 20th anniversary edition of Moon's complete guide to over 1400 tent and RV campgrounds.

  • The guide to California Bed and Breakfast Inns lists over 250 boutique hotels, wine country cottages and more.

    California Bed and Breakfast Inns

    The guide to California Bed and Breakfast Inns lists over 250 boutique hotels, wine country cottages and more.

  • The Best Coast is a west coast travel guide, sub-titled A Road Trip Atlas it doesn't use photos but instead has hundreds of beautiful illustrations.

    The Best Coast Book Review

    The Best Coast is a west coast travel guide, sub-titled A Road Trip Atlas it doesn't use photos but instead has hundreds of beautiful illustrations.

  • California Living and Eating by Eleanor Maidment is a handsome coffee table book celebrating the food and lifestyle of the Golden State with 80 tasty recipes.

    California Living and Eating

    California Living and Eating by Eleanor Maidment is a handsome coffee table book celebrating the food and lifestyle of the Golden State with 80 tasty recipes.

  • Pacific Coast Highway Travel reviews the Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Guide book covering the drive from Vancouver to San Diego.

    Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Guide

    Pacific Coast Highway Travel reviews the Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Guide book covering the drive from Vancouver to San Diego.

  • To John Steinbeck Monterey's Cannery Row was a place of sardine canneries, bums and honky tonks, but today the Monterey Aquarium attracts visitors.

    Cannery Row in Monterey

    To John Steinbeck Monterey's Cannery Row was a place of sardine canneries, bums and honky tonks, but today the Monterey Aquarium attracts visitors.

  • Lonely Planet's Coastal California guidebook is the ideal travel guide for driving or cycling the Pacific Coast Highway from the Oregon border to Mexico.

    Coastal California Guidebook

    Lonely Planet's Coastal California guidebook is the ideal travel guide for driving or cycling the Pacific Coast Highway from the Oregon border to Mexico.

  • The Napa and Sonoma Guidebook to California Wine Country is from the Moon Handbooks’ travel guide series with reviews of wineries,vineyards, and wine tastings.

    Napa and Sonoma Guidebook

    The Napa and Sonoma Guidebook to California Wine Country is from the Moon Handbooks’ travel guide series with reviews of wineries,vineyards, and wine tastings.

  • Lonely Planet's Guide to Cycling the USA West Coast is a bicycling guidebook for anyone touring California, Oregon and Washington by bike.

    Cycling the USA West Coast

    Lonely Planet's Guide to Cycling the USA West Coast is a bicycling guidebook for anyone touring California, Oregon and Washington by bike.

  • The Los Angeles travel guide book from Lonely Planet also covers San Diego and Southern California, including Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, and Disneyland.

    Los Angeles Travel Guide

    The Los Angeles travel guide book from Lonely Planet also covers San Diego and Southern California, including Palm Springs, Santa Barbara, and Disneyland.

  • Vintage Hollywood in Los Angeles is an extract from the Lonely Planets book Culture Trails.

    Vintage Hollywood

    Vintage Hollywood in Los Angeles is an extract from the Lonely Planets book Culture Trails.

  • Pacific Coast Highway Travel reviews an Olympic Peninsula Travel Guide published by the Beautiful Pacific Northwest website.

    Olympic Peninsula Travel Guide

    Pacific Coast Highway Travel reviews an Olympic Peninsula Travel Guide published by the Beautiful Pacific Northwest website.

  • Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast, published by Voyageur Press, is a guide in words and pictures to historic lighthouses along the Pacific Coast Highway.

    Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast

    Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast, published by Voyageur Press, is a guide in words and pictures to historic lighthouses along the Pacific Coast Highway.

  • Pacific Coast Highway Travel's book review of Insider's Guide to San Francisco guidebook by Jill Loeffler, publisher of the San Francisco Tourism Tips website.

    Your Insider's Guide to San Francisco

    Pacific Coast Highway Travel's book review of Insider's Guide to San Francisco guidebook by Jill Loeffler, publisher of the San Francisco Tourism Tips website.

  • Pacific Coast Highway Travel reviews the book Culture Trails by Lonely Planet, which has a section on Vintage Hollywood alongside 51 other perfect weekends.

    Culture Trails

    Pacific Coast Highway Travel reviews the book Culture Trails by Lonely Planet, which has a section on Vintage Hollywood alongside 51 other perfect weekends.

  • Pacific Coast Highway Travel reviews the Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip guide from Moon covering California, Oregon and Washington

    Pacific Coast Highway Moon Guide

    Pacific Coast Highway Travel reviews the Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip guide from Moon covering California, Oregon and Washington

Recent Articles

RSS

  1. Highway 1 to Big Sur reopens after storm — but expect some delays

    Feb 22, 26 02:17 PM

    After four days of closures, Highway 1 is set to reopen with limited traffic control — but drivers should be aware of multiple sticking points.

    Read More

  2. Third Storm Moves In Thursday With Topanga Closures, High Surf, and Flood Risk

    Feb 20, 26 10:30 AM

    LOS ANGELES - The County is heading into a third storm in four days — a fast-moving system expected to sweep through Thursday morning, bringing another round of rain, mountain snow, and damaging wind…

    Read More

  3. Highway 1 closure in Big Sur forces drivers to turn around as crews clear storm debris

    Feb 20, 26 10:30 AM

    Cleanup crews are working around the clock along California’s scenic Big Sur coastline after recent storms forced the closure of portions of Highway 1.

    Read More